Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

0. P. BARKER.

THILL COUPLING. No. 388,521. Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

WITNESSES: l/Vl/EA/TOH. m J ZW a 4,ug/A% By M- ATTORNEY,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR I. BARKER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,521, dated August 28, 1888.

Application filed May 2 2, 1988.

To all whom, it 72mg concern.-

Be it known that I, Oseaa I. BARKER, of Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Thill-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide for the secure attachment and ready detachment of the thills or tongue of a vehicle, so that one may be quickly changed for the other, and to provide an effectual anti-rattler; and a further object of the invention is to allow of the detachment of the horse from the vehicle should he become unmanageable or run away.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an enlarged cross'sectional view of the device for receiving and retaining the thill, showing the end of a thill as engaged therewith. Fig. 2 is a view of the rear of a buggy-axle, showing the body portion in section and the thill-securing device as attached to the axle; and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the coupling.

The thill attaching or detaching device A consists of jaws 13 and (l, the jaw B fixed and secured to the axle I) by clip or clips (I, or otherwise, the movable jaw 0 being pivotally hung,as at b,in ears (1, integral with the jaw I3.

The front ends of the jaws are provided with opposing sockets fandf, for receiving an enlargement or shoulder portion, ,of the thilliron E, and so shaped that when said enlarged portions of the thill are engaged with the socketcd jaws they will be capable of a rock or roll, permitting the thills to be raised and lowered. The outer end of the upper jaw is centrally cut away, as at 7., to provide light ness of metal, and a lower jaw is adapted to close in between the bearings of the said upper jaw, as best shown in Fig. 3.

I do not confine myself to this particular construction of the jaws, as it may be varied to suit a multiplicity of tastes. A bow spring, It, is interposed between the rear ends of the jaws, the recoil of which serves to force the Serial No. 274,646. (No model.)

rear ends of the said jaws apart and close the forward ends.

A cord, wire line, cable, or chain, F, is secured to the rear projecting end of the movable jaw C, and the said cord is passed upward to guiding-eyes m on the axle, thence again upward to and through gniding'eyes a near the middle of the axle, and from thence the intermediate portion of the cord is carried upward to the front or through the bottom of the buggy. Collars, knots, or buttons 1) are preferably formed upon the said cord or chain, as best shown in Fig. 2, in order that the said connecting cord or line between the bottom of the buggy and the ends of the movable jaw C will be always taut and ready for operation. In order to normally retain the jaws of the thill-coupling in a locked position, a setscrcw, S, is passed vertically downward through the outer end of the upper jaw to a bearing upon the inner face of the lower jaw, as best shown in Fig. 1. The set'screw S is provided at its upper end with a pivoted block, S, which block is adapted to act as a lock-nut.

In operation, when the set-screw has been carrieddownward to close the forward ends of the thill-coupling, the block S, which serves as a handle to manipulate the screw, is carried downward to a horizontal position and to an engagement with the clip or axle, as best shown in Fig. 1, thereby effectually retaining the set-screw in the desired position. \Vhen it is desired to release the thill from the coupling, the set-screw S is carried upward and the jaws opened by manipulation of the connecting cords or chains F. \Vhen it is not desired to use the coupling as a horse-detacher, the spring It may be dispensed with and the coupling in all cases positively locked by the screw S.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut" 1. A thill-coupling or horse-detacher comprising the thill-irons I l, having heads 1 stationary jaws I the clips a,securing said jaws to the axle and provided with eyes at, thcjaws C, pivoted to the fixed jaws and having operating-springs, the guide eyes n a at or near the center of the axle, and cord or chain F,passcd down through openings in the vchiclebody, through the eyes a and clip-eyes m, and secured to the pivoted jaws, the said cord or chain having knots or stops above the opening in the vehicle-body, substantially as set forth.

2. A vehicle-coupling or horse-detacher comprising the thill-irons E, having heads 9, stationary jaws B, clips (1 securing said jaws to the axle and provided with eyes at, the jaws C, pivoted to the fixed jaws and having operating'springs, the guide-eyes 11 and a at or near the center of the axle, a cord or chain, F, passing downward through openings in the vehielehody, through the eyes 1: and the clipeyes at, and secured to the pivoted jaws, the [5 said cord or chain having knots orstops above the openings in the vehicle-bottom, a setserew passing through the outer end of the upper jaw in contact with the inner face of the lower jaw, and a locking-block pivotally attached to said set-screw, all combined to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

OSCAR P. BARKER.

\Vitnesses:

EMMA LUCAS, E. A. TRIMMER. 

